Abstract
This research examines the decision-making factors and relationship repair strategies involved when social workers encounter concerns of potential child maltreatment. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors that influence social workers’ actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship following a report to Child Protection Services (CPS). Social workers from Ontario, Canada (n = 439) completed an online survey where they reviewed three vignettes of potential child maltreatment and responded to questions on how they would maintain the therapeutic relationship. A series of binary logistic regressions were completed to investigate the likelihood of taking specific actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship with their clients and the reasons for those actions. Factors associated with outcomes were used in the logistic regression analysis and included legal and ethical factors, clinician factors, situational factors, and professional factors. Overall, 75.6% of respondents indicated they would definitely report a child’s exposure to intimate partner violence, 49.2% would report physical maltreatment, and 66.1% would report emotional child maltreatment. In addition, a majority of respondents indicated that they would take further steps or action to maintain the therapeutic relationship with the family following the decision to report to CPS. Respondents would attempt a verbal connection with clients to restore the relationship; however, across all three vignettes, fewer respondents indicated that they would be willing to meet clients in their home. Occupational environment, social worker gender, and social worker comfort with discussing their concerns with caregivers were significant factors that influenced actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship. The research provides insight into the actions social workers would take to maintain therapeutic relationship with clients following the detection of child maltreatment. These factors inform the suggested practice principles for clinicians facing mandatory reporting of child maltreatment.